Wheels of History ~ 1960 Plymouth XNR Concept Car

To borrow a line from the late Hunter S. Thompson, this ’60s Plymouth concept car was “too weird to live, too rare to die”.

Designed by Virgil Exner Sr., the 1960 Plymouth XNR concept car was built on a modified Valiant chassis as an answer to the vast popularity of Corvettes at the close of the 1950s. The car served its sole purpose in the car exhibitions of the early 1960s, showcasing the progressive design sensibilities of Plymouth automotive.

We imagine the XNR concept wasn’t well revered in its early years. This one-off vehicle has led a quiet life since. The car is a bit odd-looking (which might speak to why it never went into production) but we greatly admire its level of asymmetry, especially the fin behind the driver’s well. Asymmetry is a design element that is vastly missing from automobiles across the board.

Virgil Max “Ex” Exner, Sr. was an automobile designer for numerous American companies, notably Chrysler and Studebaker. He is known for his “Forward Look” design on the 1955-1963 Chrysler products and his fondness of fins on cars for both aesthetic and aerodynamic reasons.

XNR Concept Car Demonstration Test Drive